Anti-Nato campaigner Darren Carnegie drove down from Glasgow and spent a week at the peace camp to show solidarity with protesters opposed to the summit.

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“I came down here with my father Andrew and we were both on the march yesterday and we’re disappointed at the low numbers we’ve seen,” he said.

“From a personal viewpoint it has been a success because we wanted to highlight work we do for Glasgow’s needy at a food-bank we run. That happened because the message certainly has got back home.

“But we’re both leaving early because of the apathy. It’s a real disappointment that the camp didn’t attract more people.”

He was speaking as he set off early on a nine hour drive back to Scotland, claiming that finding no more than 100 people at the peace camp was a “disappointment and almost embarrassing”.

On Thursday, dressed in nothing but a tartan-covered thong, he was prominent among 500 protesters marching from Newport to the Celtic Manor as the venue hosted the first day of biggest gathering of world leaders ever seen on Welsh soil.

Anarchists, communists, anti-Nato activists and members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) walked three miles along Chepstow Road chanting anti-war slogans.

They pounded the 7ft reinforced steel barrier with their fists when they arrived on the outskirts of the protected luxury resort, and shouting and abuse aimed at the summit erupted in the street.

Both pre-planned set piece protests passed off peacefully, however, without any disruption to the summit at all.

While from a policing and public perspective that outcome was successful, the opposite was the case from the perspective of protesters.

A final day of protest action on Friday, however, failed to materialise as the numbers at the peace camp dwindled and protesters headed home early.

“I suppose the numbers have been disappointing but we have shown the world that not everyone agrees with what is going on here,” said a protester at the peace camp, who did not wish to be named.

Meanwhile, police praised protesters for ensuring their demos were peaceful.

More than 9,500 officers from 43 UK police forces have been on duty since world leaders descended on South Wales for the alliance conference.

Around 300 people took to the streets of Cardiff on Thursday night hours after hundreds staged protests in Newport - both figures significantly lower than the predicted 20,000.

South Wales Police Chief Superintendent – and silver commander – Alun Thomas said that by yesterday afternoon only four people had been arrested.

“So far the policing operation has gone to plan, and we are grateful to the public and the vast majority of protesters for working with us to help ensure a safe and secure event,” he added.

“Last night’s events in Cardiff went without major issue.

“Officers made four arrests for various offences but the vast majority of those exercising the democratic right to protest were peaceful. Many of those who did protest had engaged with us prior to the protest for which we are grateful. This helped us ensure our policing was proportionate and appropriate.”